FPL adds 16-MWh battery system to Florida solar park

(PRNewsfoto/Florida Power & Light Company)

February 12 (Renewables Now) - US rate-regulated electric utility Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) said on Friday that it has incorporated a 4-MW/16-MWh energy storage system into a 74.5-MW solar park in its home state.

The company claims that this is a first of a kind system in the country and will help increase the amount of solar energy that the FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center in DeSoto County can deliver to the electric grid by over half a million kilowatt-hours a year.

The system features "DC-coupled" batteries, which, unlike other batteries, can capture the power that is “clipped” by inverters, FPL explained.

In the last two years alone, FPL has added more than 520 MW of solar power capacity and expects to switch on further photovoltaic (PV) facilities with a combined capacity close to 300 MW by March 1. The company also plans to develop 50 MW of battery storage over the next few years.